Vehicle signaling system



Oct. ll, 1938.

w. 'rRAuTNERy er Al. 2,133,000 VEHICLE AIGNALING' SYSTEM Filed oct. 25, 1937 "HMI I 4 .I l A l j '0 'l 26 I 2 24- 44 l y I /5 if? f Q Y /6 I I. 9

f7 27 ,9 2o V *.Z 1 3/ j g i Sff/ l i g l w 1N VEN TOR. W51 GN TRA u r/vE/e g-esser E. METCALF A TTORNE YS.

Patented Oct. 11, 1938 2,133,000 VEHICLE SIGNAIJNG SYSTEM I Wag-n Trautner, Springdale, Ohio, and Herbert E. Metcalf, Walnut Creek, Calif., assignors to E. H. Kneifel', Oakland, Calif.

Application october z5, 1937, serial No. 110,828

3 Claims.

Our invention relates to a vehicle signaling system, and more particularly to such a system which may be completely monitored by the operator thereof at al1 times.

Among the objects of our invention are: To provide a vehicle signaling and monitoring systeml whereby the operator thereof is at all times aware of the condition of his signaling devices; to provide a vehicle signaling system having pilot indications in view of the operator; tol provide a combination of automatic and hand switches -for indicating the course of a vehicle; to provide a vehicle signaling system which may be hand set and automatically returned to neutral; to provide a means and method of vehicle signaling combining automatic indication and hand indication, together with supervisory indicators for showing the condition of the sign'aling indicators; to provide a means and method of indicating to an operator of ayvehicle signaling system whether or not his signaling umts are in operation; to provide a means and method of automatically centralizing a hand switch in a vehicle signaling system; to provide a circuit and switches therefor for indicating the course of a vehicle both automaticallyl and by'hand, together with means for indicating failure of any partv of the system; to provide a vehicle signaling system utilizing both front and rear indicators, together VAwith a means and method of monitoring failure of one of such units, even though the other of such units is still functioning; and to provide a vehicle signaling system that will indicate failure of the system at any Point.

Our invention possesses numerous other objects and features of advantage, some of which, together with the foregoing, will be set forth in the following descriptiony of specificapparatus embodying and utilizing our novel method. It is therefore to be understood that our method is applicable to other apparatus, and that we do not limit ourselves, in any way, to the a'pparatus of the present application, asiwemay adopt various other apparatus embodiments, utilizing the method, within the scope of the appended claims.

The drawing is a diagrammatic view of a signaling system embodying our invention, the automatic switch being shown in expanded perspective in order that its operation may be more easily understood.

In a prior application of Clarence B. Howard `entitled Vehicle direction indicator, $erial No.

l3 136,709, led April 14, 1937, the inventor has disclosed and claimed a system for indicating both automatically and by hand any change in direction of a vehicle. The present invention is a modification and improvement on the circuit shown by Howard, in that it provides complete 6 monitoring and will give to' the operator thereof warning of any failure of the indicating devices or circuits, so that he need no long er rely upon the system and thus be liable to accident after a portion thereof has ceased functioning.

Our improved system allows the use of double indicators, one set on the front of a vehicle and the other set on the rear of the vehicle, and at the same time provides a check, warning the operator even if one of the indicators is not in operation. Thus. we have completely eliminated Y any chance of accident due-to reliance upon a system which is at any point inoperative at the time,v and furthermore, we utilize a which differs from and has advantages over that of Howard, in that it holds mechanically but is hand switch released to neutral position magnetically, whereas the Howard holding switch held and was released by de-energization ing coil. 3

magnetically of the hold- Our invention will be described as utilizing a', frictionally rotated switch mechanism which indicates automatically any change of a vehicle from any instant course of whether or not that course isa straight-away in direction irrespective course. It will be apparent, however, that our invention can also be applied to an automatic switch which indicates purely a de a straight-ahead course, and, this cussed in conjunction with the description of the f remainder of the circuit.

viation from will be disinasmuch as our present invention includes,

broadly, the same main elements of the Howard device described. in the above-identified application, no further reference thereto will be made herein.

In one preferred form, our inven trated diagrammatically in the drawing.

tion is ill L H e,

the i'rame'l of a vehicle, such as an automobile or truck, or similar vehicle provided with a steersteering gear is given purely as an asmuch as any manner of rotating in synchronlsm with the rotation of gear will be satisfactory.

example, in-

the, shaft 4 the steering Frictionally mounted on shaft 4, which has been shown greatly elongated for clearness of illustration, is a switch disc 5. This disc is not keyed to shaft 4 in any manner and is free to Arotate thereon, but is of sucha tight t that it contact I0, and bearing against the periphery of disc 5 in the pathof contts 9 and I0 is a right brush Ii and a left brush I2. BrushesjII and i2 are positioned on the periphery with relation to disc contacts 9 and I0, so that when the disc 5 is rotated to its maximunr extent, as determined by stop arm 6 contacting one of stops 1 in one direction, electrical contact is made between disc contact 9 and brush I I or disc contact IIJ with brush I2, in accordance with the rotation Vof disc 5.

Extending from each disc contact 9 and I0 are rotating brushes I4 and I5 bearing on a'slip ringlG mounted onwthe periphery of rotating disc YI1 directly keyed to shaft 4. If 'desiredLrotating brushes I4 and I5 may be so Ydesigned as to increase the frictional rotational force appliednfrom shaft 4 to cause disc 5 to rotate over its limited arc. A :commons brush I9 is positioned to bear on the periphery of disc I1, and the slip ring I6, over a given arc, is interrupted to provide a; circuit breaking insulating segment 20 on the periphery of disc I1, this circuit breaking segment being positioned with respect to l shaft 4 and steering gear 2 so that common brush I9 will not make contact toslip ring I6 when the vehicle being steered is pursuing a straight-ahead path. A sucient arc is -left on ISO each side of this central position so that no contact will belmade when minor movements of the steering gear, not suflicient to change the vehiclerfromY arl generally straight-ahead path, are being made. It will thus be seen that inE the straight-ahead path, and over minor variations therefrom, no current can pass through the automatic switch attached t-o the steering gear, whatever the position ofl 5 may be, because common brush I9 will be on non-conducting segment 20. Y

While the switch just above described will, of

course, operate with one signaling lamp connected on each side, we prefer to describe a circut in which two signaling lamps indicating left and two signaling'Y lamps indicating right are utilized. On the same side of the vehicle we prefer to place one of the signaling lights, 2|, on the front of the vehicle, preferably on the right front, and the other light, 22, on the right rear of the vehicle On the opposite side of the vehicle afleft front signaling light 24 is used, and a left'irear signaling lightv 25 is utilized, both of' them connectedV in parallel, and those on the left connected to brush I2 through left connection 26, and those on the rightV connected to brush II through right connection 21. The opposite sides of the left hand lights 24 and 25 are connected together to form a left common wire 29, and the other sides of the right hand lights 2I and 22 areconnected together to form a right common wire 30.

On the dash, or at any? other point within convenient sight oV the operator, we prefer to position a monitoringpanel, as indicated by dotted line 3i; and in the monitoring panel we may position, on one side, a left pilot lamp 32 connected on one side thereof to left common wire 29 and on the other side connected to ground, and on the right side ofthe panel we position a right pilot lightVV 34 connected on one side to right common wire 30 and on the other side to ground. This completes the exterior lamp circuit. It is of course to be fully understood that we are 'utilizing lamps 2I, 22, 24 and 25 purely Yto illustrate any signaling device operated by an electric current, inasmuch as any one skilled in the art will fully understand that other mechanical devices, such as swinging arms, are the full equivalent. E

Having fully described the automatic switch and its connected lamps, we wish to further include a means thereby the signaling lamps 2|, 22, 24 and 25 may be operated selectively as to right or left by hand, in order that an indication may be set up prior to the actual turnn being mfade, and in order to accomplish this purpose we utilize a hand switch comprising a hand switch disc 40 turned on a hand switch axle 4I -connect a left circuit. Left brush '49 is connected to left connection 26, right brush 41 is connected to right connection 21, and the cen-Y tral brush 46 is connected to battery 50 through a fuse 5I positioned in monitoring panelv 3|. Thus, the hand switch will be seen to be? in parallel, as far as the indicator lamp-s are concerned, with 'the automatic switch prcgiously described as beingconnected to the steering gear.

In order that the hand switch remain in contact making position either right or left, we prefer to utilize a gnechanical holding device which may beexemplied by a pawl 52 forced against the periphery of disc 40 by pawl spring 54, anctl then provide holding notches 55 into which pawl 52 may drop when handle 42 is moved :to either right or left, thus holding the'. hand switch in contact making position.v We'prefer to make the pawli 52 of magnetic material, and position just above it a core 56 of magnetic material having wound'thereon a release coil 51. This release coil is Yconnected at one end thereof to source YV50 through the fuse 5I, and at the other end thereof to the common brush I on the automatic switch attached to the steering gear. It will be obvious, however, that there are many ways of mechanically holding switch 42 in contact making position, :and that the notches 55 maybe done away with and pawl 52 may be made a friction shoe bearing on the periphery, but in any case the operation should be the same, namely, that the hand switch will remain mechanically held in contact makingr position and will be released therefrom by removal `of the holding force by the use of an electric current.

The operation of the device is simple. In order to light right lamps 2| and 22 manually, the handle 42 is' thrown to the left, so that current from sourcey 50 will pass through common brush 46, through right brush 41, through lamps 2| and 22, through pilot light 34, and thence to ground. Thus, lamps 2| and 22 on they right side of the vehicle will be illuminated, and the series pilot lamp 34 will also be illuminated. If the handle is thrown to the right, left lamps 24 and 25, and pilot lamp 32, will be illuminated.

The operator thus has in front of him at all times a pilot lamp indication of whether the signal lights on either side of the vehicle provide an electrical circuit. These signal lights, either right or left, may be illuminated at any time by the hand switch when the vvehicle is proceeding in a straight-ahead position,"and the hand switch will be held in contact making position because no current is passing through the automatic switch attached to the steering gear. However, when a turn is actually made, one Vor the other of the contacts 9 or I0 on the frictionally driven disc 5 of the automatic switch will contact its appropriate brush or I2, and -thus close an additional circuit through the signal lamp and pilot light on that side, and current will ow in a circuit parallel to the lamps through release coil 51, attracting the pawl 52 and allowing the handle 42 to centralize, due to springs 44 breaking the hand switch circuit and substituting the automatic switch circuit..

When any connection is made through the automatic switch, the hand switch will central-` ize, due to the f'act that current will pass through release coil 51. The only time that the hand switch will not reset is when no current is passing through the automatic switch, due to the fact that brush I9 is on the non-conductive segment of the rotating disc |1.

While the circuit just described will indicate whether or not the complete circuit to right or left is operative or inoperative, because all of the current therefrom passes through one or the other of pilot lights 32 or 34, it will be obvious that pilot lights 342 and 34 will still remain lit if only one of the vsignal lamps 2| and 22 or 24 and on a side are still burning. If it should happen that the front or rear lamp on either side should burn out, the pilot light on that side would not go out, thus giving the driver a false pilot indication of the condition v-of his lamps, and leading him to rely on the circuit as being fully operative, and thus tending to accident.

We have found, however, that this condition may be readily made apparent to the operator of the hand switch by designing core-56 and release coil 51 so that the current through one signal lamp will not give a suiicient flux to release the handle, whereas current through both lamps on the same side will give enough flux so that quick release is obtained. Thus, the ope erator, if he finds that the handlel will not return to central position on making any turn, immediately knows thatlone of his lamps on that particular side is not burning, even though hisI pilot lamp is. Burning out of fuse 5|, of course, renders the entire system inoperative; both pilot lamps will go out, and the handle 42 will always remain in contact making position.

Therefore, by utilizing a handswitch with a magnetic release instead of a magnetic hold, we have provided a system which will indicate failmay be so regulated that the handle release will take place only when all of the'lamps are operating. Fuse 5| may be easily` regulated as to current carrying capacity'so that ashort in any lamp will open the fuse.

The system which we have above described is particularly desirable in a vehicle signaling sys'- tem, because with such a system the operator once utilizing it tends to rely upon it. Thus, a complete monitoring of the system is vitally important, because if the operator does rely upon the system, and it is not operating as it should, an accident may easily result.

It should also be pointed out, as mentioned above, that with the magnetic release of the hand switch, as has been described herein, it is not necessary for the switch attached to the steering gear to be of the friction driven type, as illustrated, although the friction driven type has many advantages over a switch which merely makes contact to right and to left of the central position of the steering gear. The most simple type of switch of this latter type is one having a blade rotated with the steering gear, and which makes continuous contact when the steering gear is turned to right and left, irrespective of how far. Such a switch will voperate perfectly with the hand switch and monitoring system herein described in place of the automatic switch that we have preferably utilized in our system. In that case the blade would be connected to power through the release coil 51. -The lamps can be lit selectively when the steering gear arm was not making any contact, and when contact was made by the blade either to a right or left contact, the lights would be lit in parallel with the hand switch through the release coil 51, thus releasing the hand switch and leaving the one side lights illuminated until the steering gear returned to central position and the blade freed of electrical connection.

We therefore do not desire to be limited in our system to the use of the frictionally driven switch of Howard, although this latter switch has many advantages over the directly rotated switch, because the Howard switch indicates change of direction, whereas the direct-connected switch only indicates change from a straightahead course.

We also do not desire to be limited in any way to the use of the entire combination as shown, as it is obvious that the pilot lights, forexample, are purely a double check, inasmuch as all checking of the circuits may be doneby reference to the manner in which the handle of the manual switch behaves. For example, when the flux ofthe release magnet is such that it will release when both lamps are illuminated, but will not release when one only is illuminated, obviously any open circuit will prevent the handle from centralizing, whether that open circuit be in one lamp or both. Likewise, any short will blow the fuse, thus preventing any current now whatsoever, and there again the handle will not centralize. Thus, the system monitors perfectly with two lamps on each side by the action of the handle alone.

When one lamp only is used for an indica.--

tion on each side, the coil of the release magnet is of course wound to provide sufficient release flux with the current through one lamp, and. under these conditions any failure of the single lamp will prevent release, and any short in the circuit will blow the fuse and thus also prevent release. 'I'he pilot lights, therefore, are simply an additional and double check on the operation. of the system. However, it will readily be seen that the p ilot lights allow the operator to follow the right and left indications during such times asI the hand switch is not used for presetting the signal.

It will of course be obvious that in case it is ldesirable to run a single wire out from the switches to lamps 2|, 22, 24 and 25, that leads from brushes Il and 41 may be combined, and leads from' brushes I2 and 49 may be combined, and the pilot lights 34 and 32 be placed in the combined lines respectively, so that the leads to the pilot lights #may bemade short for mounting on the dash, whereas the returns from the signal lamps may be directly grounded.

It will also be obvious to those skilled in the art that, for example, in case only one lamp on each side is to be utilized in series with the pilot light, that the two lamps on each side may be three volt lamps in a six volt circuit, thus giving full brilliancy in each. In the circuit as shown in the drawing, where two parallel six volt lamps are used, each pilot light 32 and 34 may be a six volt lamp when source 50 -is six volts.

However, if it is desired to reduce the size of lamps 32 and 34, it will of course be obvious to all those skilled in the art that a resistor may be shunted across these lamps, such as, for example, a resistor with a one volt drop therein, with a one volt lamp bridged across the resistor.

In case a resistor is utilized in parallel with the pilot light, it will oef course be obvious that a burn-out of the pilot light will not causethe signal lamps to be entirely extinguished, because only the amount of current carried by the pilot light itself would then be withdrawn from the signal lamps.

Other combinations of resistors parallel. to the pilot lights will be immediately apparent to those skilled in the art, and shall be deemed full equivalents of the set-up as shown and described, and as claimed herein.

We claim:

1. A vehicle signaling system comprising a :steering gear switch having a contact movable by action of said steerig gear to automatically close right and left indicator circuits in accordance with -motion of said steering gear, a power source supplying said indicator circuits through said steering gear switch, a plurality of parallel right and left indicators in their respective indicator circuits, a manual switch operable to selectively'energize each of said indicator circuits from said source, resilient means for holding said manual switch in contact breaking position, me-

chanical means operating on said manual switch to hold said latter switch in contact making position against the urge of said resilient means, an armature on said mechanical means, an electromagnet positioned to move said armature when energized and connected to said source and to said steering gear switch, said mechanical means being connected to said armature so that movement of said armature will break the hold of said mechanical means on said manual switch, thereby allowing said switch to return to Contact breaking position under the urge of said resilient means, said electromagnet being wound to provide suiiicient flux to release said manual switch only when all of said indicators energized by said steering gear switch are passing current.

2. A vehicle signaling system comprising a steering gear switch having a contact movable by action of said steering gear to automatically close right and left indicator circuits in accordance with motion of said steering gear, a power source supplying said indicator circuits through said steering gear switch, a plurality of right and left indicators in their respective indicator circuits, and a manually voperated switch comprising a contact disc rotatable at will of the operator to closev said indicator circuits; resilient means operating on said disc to normally hold said disc in contact breaking position, mechanical holding means operating against said disc with a pressure sunicent to hold'said disc in contact vmaking position when rotated against said resilient means, an armature on said holding means, and an electromagnet connected to carry current passing through said steering gearswitch and positioned to attract said armature when energized, the line of attraction being such `as to 'reduce said pressure suiciently to allow said disc to rotate back to circuit breaking position under urge of said resilient means, said electromagnet being wound to provide suicient flux to release said manual switch only when all of said indicators energized by said steering gear switch are passing current.

3. In a vehicle signaling apparatus, electrically operated direction signals, electric circuits for effecting energization of a plurality of said signals to indicate a turn to the right or left, said circuits including manually operative make and break means comprising a movable member and means to hold the movable member in circuit closing positions, automatic means operating by turning of the vehicle steering gear away from a straight ahead position to energize the same circuits, and electromagnetic means operated by current passing through said automatic means and the energized signals for releasing said holding means, said electromagnetic means being wound to provide suicient ilux to release said holding means only when all of said energized signals are passing current.

WAGN TRAUTNER. HERBERT E. METCALF. 

